Govt’s enhanced marriage and parenthood package not encouraging couples to have more children
The government's enhanced marriage and parenthood package introduced
last year has played a significant role in attracting women back to
work.
About 9 in 10 working mothers with young children surveyed said so.
But asked if the package would encourage them to have more children, less than half of the 230 women surveyed said yes.
The high cost of living, competitive education system and a lack of
personal space are several reasons for them not wanting to have more
children.
The survey was conducted by the NTUC's Women Development Secretariat to
assess the impact of the enhanced measures on a woman's decision to go
back to work, as well as have more kids.
The enhanced package provides among other benefits, four months
maternity leave, up from three and longer child care leave, from two to
six days a year.
While less than half of the women wanted more kids, more than 9 in 10
of the women generally felt their companies were supportive of female
employees utilising their maternity and child care leave.
Eight in 10 of the women also said they had no problems applying for such leave.
However, slightly more than one in 10 percent felt their performance
appraisals were affected despite the good work they feel they've been
putting in.
Director of the Women's Development Secretariat, Madam Halimah Yacob,
believes the results show that most employers have adjusted well to the
enhanced leave benefits.
Most also do not hold a women's pregnancy against her in deciding on career advancements.
But there will continue to be a minority of employers who practise
discrimination against pregnant women, Madam Halimah acknowledged.
She urged people to speak up against them and make it difficult for them to continue with their ways.
Madam Halimah also urged workers to be more understanding of colleagues who are mothers-to-be.
Three hundred unionists and HR practitioners who attended a seminar
this morning on fair employment practices were also encouraged to
introduce and practise human resource policies that look beyond gender
or family status.
--938Live